The ability to tell almost instinctively who painted a picture is defined... as connoisseurship". [1] Connoisseurs evaluate works of art on the basis of their experience of the style and technique of artists. Judgment informed by intuition is essential, but it must be grounded in a thorough understanding of the work itself. On the basis of empirical evidence, refinement of perception about technique and form, and a disciplined method of analysis, the responsibility of the connoisseur is to attribute authorship, validate authenticity and appraise quality. These findings are crucial for the valuation of works, and can be collected and organized into a catalogue raisonné of the work of a single artist or a school. Robinson, Terry F., "Eighteenth-Century Connoisseurship and the Female Body" Oxford Handbooks Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 10 May 2017. In 1890, Giovanni Morelli wrote, "art connoisseurs say of art historians that they write about what they do not understand; art historians, on their side, disparage the connoisseurs, and only look upon them as the drudges who collect materials for them, but who personally have not the slightest knowledge of the physiology of art." The attributions of painted pottery were an important project to the History of Ancient Art and Classical Archeology (Ancient Greece and South Italy). Two specialists were the most important authorities in archaeological connoisseurship: John Davidson Beazley (1885-1970) and Arthur Dale Trendall (1909-1995). Connoisseur is also used in the context of gastronomy, i.e. in connection with fine food, beer, wine, coffee, tea and many other products whose consumption can be pleasing to the senses. [6] [ bettersourceneeded] [7] See also [ edit ]

During the 18th century, the term was often used as a synonym for a still vaguer man of taste or a pretend critic.a b Grosvenor, Bendor (2010-12-08). "On Connoisseurship". Arthistorynews.com . Retrieved 2015-03-18.

Connaisseur' in the Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales, 3rd meaning". Cnrtl.fr . Retrieved 2014-04-15.Alpers, Svetlana, "Style is What You Make It", p. 139, in The Concept of Style, ed. Berel Lang, (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1987), 137-162, google books Discover wonderful wildlife tours to book and experience in Scotland, including bird watching safaris, whale watching, farm tours and much more!